The invention relates to a coupling device for coupling at least one optical waveguide, for example a fiber ribbon, to an optical component, for example an optical transmitter or an optical receiver.
For many communications applications, in particular for those applications which require a high data rate, for example a data rate of 10 Gbit per second, data must be transmitted by means of an optical transmission path. Copper cables are therefore gradually being replaced by optical cables for operation of data processing centers, supercomputers or for data transmission for digital television (HDTV). In order to transmit signals via an optical transmission path, optical signals are produced from electrical signals and are fed into optical waveguides. In order to receive the signals, the optical signals are output from optical waveguides, and are converted to electrical signals again, for further processing.
Transmitting devices by means of which electrical signals can be converted to optical signals are, for example, VCSEL (vertical cavity surface emitting laser) devices. Optical receiving devices may, for example, be photodiodes, which convert light to electrical signals. The transmitting and receiving devices must be coupled to the optical transmission paths, for example to individual optical waveguides or to a plurality of optical waveguides which, for example, may be arranged in the form of fiber ribbons.
It is therefore a requirement to specify a coupling device for coupling at least one optical waveguide to an optical component, for example an optical transmitter or an optical receiver, which is as space-saving as possible and costs as little as possible, while allowing reliable coupling between the at least one optical waveguide and the optical component. It is also desirable to specify a method for producing a coupling between at least one optical waveguide and an optical component.